AWARENESS UPDATE

Some good news:  a man working at a store, who has Asperger's, is just trying to do his best and help customers...but he is treated rudely by a shopper.  But his story gets told on Facebook, and what happens?  Read on:

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When a customer berated a supermarket employee with Asperger’s syndrome for working too slowly, the story quickly went viral with tens-of-thousands coming to the worker’s defense.
Jamie Virkler, 43, took to Facebook over the weekend after her brother, Chris Tuttle, 28, came home from his job at a Clay, N.Y. Wegmans store upset that a customer yelled at him.
Tuttle said he was helping out at the cash registers because the store was busy. When bagging a customer’s groceries, Tuttle said the woman yelled at him for working too slow. Tuttle told The (Syracuse, N.Y.) Post-Standard that he finished the job, smiled and thanked the woman for shopping at the store.
Still unhappy, however, the customer reportedly complained to the manager and yelled such that everyone could hear.
After hearing about her brother’s experience at work, Virkler wrote about the incident in a Facebook post asking others to help cheer him up.
“Part of Asperger’s is the inability to move on, to not be able to wrap his mind around the fact that this woman isn’t worth it. To hear him tell the story, your heart will break. He doesn’t understand why someone would be so nasty to him and for him, he takes it personal,” Virkler wrote.
Within days, her post has generated over 96,000 likes and more than 15,000 comments.
Tuttle and his family were amazed by the response.
“I’m overwhelmed by all the support and the love by the people I don’t know and I know. I just want to say thank you,” Tuttle told The Post-Standard, adding that he’s pressing forward. “I’m letting it go and moving on.”

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FRIDAY FOOTBALL PICKS

NFL PICKS
Hey, guess what?  I was 8-6 last week.  I'm 73-81-2 for the year.

Atlanta at Tampa Bay.  Line:  pick'em.  My pick:  FALCONS.  Yes, the Bucs finally won a game.  But don't overreact; it was a win over a Dolphins team in disarray.  I just think Matt Ryan and the Falcons have enough pride and talent left to get this one.

BUFFALO 1 over NY Jets. My pick:  BILLS.  I know, seems crazy.  But--E.J. Manuel will play for Buffalo.  They've been a tough home team this year.  When a team starts a rookie QB, like the Jets do, there are ups and downs...look for the "down" week to hit Geno Smith here.

Detroit 3 over PITTSBURGH.  My pick:  STEELERS.  I'd love to pick the Lions here, but they've been playing with fire the last couple of weeks, and you still have to fear the Steelers at home, especially coming off a win AND as a desperate team.

PHILADELPHIA 3.5 over Washington.  My pick:  EAGLES.  I know, I know, the Eagles have been terrible at home this year.  That's not going to last forever and Nick Foles has been playing well.  Philly finally breaks through at home.

San Diego 1 over MIAMI.  My pick:  CHARGERS.  Both teams with issues, obviously, but the Dolphins have more issues, not to mention lingering distractions.

CHICAGO 2.5 over Baltimore.  My pick:  RAVENS.  Josh McCown will play QB for the Bears; I know, he hasn't looked that bad...but look, he's been a backup his whole career for a reason.  The Ravens showed last week they haven't cashed it in and can't be taken for granted.  They remain a desperate team.

CINCINNATI 6 over Cleveland.  My pick:  BENGALS.  Yes, the Bengals looked so good 2 weeks ago...and then lost 2 straight OT games on the road.  But now they're back home, they are the better team here, and I look for a big bounce-back.

HOUSTON 7 over Oakland.  My pick:  TEXANS.  Case Keenum at QB for Houston hasn't looked bad; they've deserved better than they've gotten in some of the tough losses they've taken.  Look for the Texans to break through this week.

Arizona 6.5 over JACKSONVILLE.  My pick:  CARDINALS.  Arizona's defense is better than its given credit for; that D will carry the day here.

DENVER 7.5 over Kansas City.  My pick:  CHIEFS.  Not to win; I expect Denver to prevail here in a close game.   But look for the Chiefs' defense to keep this game closer than expected; the fact that Peyton Manning is kind of beat up will also contribute.

SEATTLE 13 over Minnesota.  My pick:  SEATTLE.  The Seahawks are rounding into shape, as last week's pounding of Atlanta showed.  Now this week they have another inferior team to pound on.

NEW ORLEANS 2.5 over San Francisco.  My pick:  SAINTS.  An excellent matchup between 2 good teams.  But as last week showed again, the Saints are one of the BEST teams in the NFL when they're at home.  They'll show that again this week.

NY GIANTS 7 over Green Bay.  My pick:  GIANTS.  The Packers are down to their 3rd QB--Scott Tolzien.  He actually did a creditable job last week.  But...he's their 3rd QB, and the Giants have a big edge here.

CAROLINA 2.5 over New England.  My pick:  PANTHERS.  Will Carolina be able to handle the pressure of a big game on a Monday night against the great Tom Brady?  This will be a tough battle.  But you know what will carry Carolina here?  That very, very tough defense they've developed.

HEALTH TIP OF THE DAY: OVERDOING NUTRIENTS

You don't want to overdo a good thing.  How so?  Read on:

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We’ve all been schooled about the unhealthy things we should limit, like sugar and sodium. But there are also some healthy things that, in excess, can do more harm than good. In other words, even when a nutrient is vital, more isn’t necessarily better. Here are the risks associated with going overboard on five key nutrients–some of them may take you by surprise.
Omega-3 fatty acids
These healthy fats help fight inflammation, a known trigger of aging and disease, and they’ve been tied to a host of health benefits, from reducing the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and depression, to maintaining healthy skin and supporting brain function. But new research has found that too much omega-3 may alter immune function, and disrupt the body’s ability to fend off viral or bacterial infections. Scientists are particularly concerned about a “layering” effect that occurs when people eat seafood, take fish oil supplements, and also consume foods fortified with omega-3s, like eggs, orange juice, and cereal. To avoid overload, talk to your physician and/or personal dietitian about your diet, so he or she can determine if you need to supplement or fortify your intake at all, and if so, exactly how much you should aim for.
Vitamin C
In addition to supporting immunity, vitamin C is needed to heal wounds, maintain healthy bones, teeth, blood vessels, and skin. It also acts as a major antioxidant, to stave off aging and chronic diseases, including heart disease, cancer, and arthritis. For adults, the upper limit, or maximum advised intake, from both food and supplements combined, is 2,000 mg a day. While some people may be fine taking in this amount or more, megadoses of vitamin C supplements have been shown to trigger bloating and digestive upset, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, heartburn, headaches, insomnia, and kidney stones. To keep your intake in check, aim to get your fill from naturally vitamin C rich foods, which include red and green bell peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, citrus fruits, kiwi, papaya, strawberries, and pineapple.
Zinc
Zinc is found in every cell in your body. This important mineral supports immune function, as well as healthy vision, smell, taste, blood sugar regulation, metabolism, healing, and proper thyroid function. The upper limit, or daily maximum for zinc is 40 mg per day. Research has shown that less than this amount is safe to consume daily over time, but if too much zinc is taken long-term, side effects may include digestive upset, a metallic taste in the mouth, dizziness, headaches, fatigue, increased sweating, loss of muscle coordination, alcohol intolerance, and hallucinations.
In addition, very high doses of zinc may actually weaken immune function, lower “good” heart-protective HDL cholesterol, and raise “bad” LDL cholesterol, the type tied to an increased risk of heart disease. Like omega-3s, the chances of getting too much increase if several sources are consumed, like zinc-rich foods (red meat, shellfish), on top of a supplement, and products fortified with zinc, such as nasal sprays or throat lozenges. If you think you may be exceeding your needs, talk to your doc or dietitian. Sometimes when I ask my clients about their supplement regime, they have absolutely no idea how much they’re taking.
Iron
Much of the iron in your body is found in your red blood cells, where it helps to carry oxygen to every cell. This key mineral is also is involved in producing energy for cells, and is an integral part of many proteins and enzymes needed for optimal health. Premenopausal women lose iron from monthly blood loss, but men and postmenopausal women need to be more mindful of their iron intakes, because once iron is absorbed, very little is excreted. That means excess iron can build up in tissues and organs, including the liver and heart.
A genetic disorder called hemochromatosis, which affects one in 250 people of northern European descent, ups the risk of iron overload, because it causes iron to be easily absorbed. The daily maximum for iron is set at 45 mg for adults, but most premenopausal non-pregnant adult women generally need no more than 18 mg daily. The needs for men and women over 50 are less than half that amount, at 8 mg per day. To put that level in perspective, a 3-ounce serving of beef or a half cup of lentils each provide about 3 mg, but only about 3 percent to 35 percent of the iron from food is absorbed, depending on the type, as well as factors that either interfere with absorption (like tea) or enhance it (like vitamin C). If you’re taking supplements and you’re not sure if they contain iron, or if so, how much, be sure to check. Manufacturers don’t have to set doses below the advised daily caps.
Calcium
When you think of calcium, bones probably come to mind, and that’s where about 99 percent of the calcium in your body is found. But this mineral is also needed for proper heart, nerve, and muscle function, and it helps maintain your body’s acid/base balance. Women tend to be highly aware of calcium, due to campaigns about “boning up” to fight osteoporosis, so I sometimes worry about my clients getting too much. I’ve seen women who load up on dairy, in addition to popping calcium chews, taking a supplement, and choosing calcium-fortified foods, from OJ to energy bars.
The upper limit (again from both food and supplements combined) for adult non-pregnant women and men is 2,500 mg before age 50 and 2,000 from 51 on. Exceeding that amount may lead to high blood calcium, which can trigger kidney problems, kidney stones, and calcium deposits in soft tissues. High calcium intakes can also lead to constipation, and interfere with the absorption of iron and zinc. Getting too much calcium from food alone is rare, but if you think you may be racking up an excess amount from other sources, talk to your health care providers about the best ways to strike an ideal balance.
Cynthia Sass is a registered dietitian with master’s degrees in both nutrition science and public health. Frequently seen on national TV, she’s Health’s contributing nutrition editor, and privately counsels clients in New York, Los Angeles, and long distance. Cynthia is currently the sports nutrition consultant to the New York Rangers NHL team and the Tampa Bay Rays MLB team, and is board certified as a specialist in sports dietetics. Her latest New York Times best seller is S.A.S.S! Yourself Slim: Conquer Cravings, Drop Pounds and Lose Inches.

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AUTISM UPDATE

This is cool:

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Seven-year-old Karl Gabriel has autism. But when his mother’s friend Justine Edward thinks of Karl, she doesn’t think about his challenges or disability. Instead, she thinks of his spirit, his love of Eric Carle’s book “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” and his winning smile.
So Edward, a teacher and mother of three in North Queensland, Australia, wrote a children’s book about letting your inner light shine. Then she asked Karl to illustrate it. The result is “Shine,” which Edward self-published in June. The text is written in verse form and the pictures are drawn in bold primary colors.

“I wanted everyone to see Karl the same way I saw him,” Edward said recently by phone. “I wanted them to see not just his disabilities, but the light within him.”
Edward has known Karl since before he was diagnosed with autism when he was three, and Karl’s mother, Sanya Gabriel, has always discussed his challenges and strengths openly, she said.
“I’ve been going on the entire journey with her,” Edward said. “He’s always been such a happy, joyful child, full of so much energy. Like a lot of kids on the spectrum, it can be hard to get him to focus. But when he smiles, he lights up the room. It’s so easy to be caught up by the challenges, to focus on what’s difficult, rather than just his incredible nature.”
Karl is particularly good with languages, Edward said, and can recite his favorite book in English, German, French and Italian. But drawing is more challenging for him, so it took him several weeks to complete the illustrations. The final product is peppered with specific references to Karl’s life. One illustration says “Ready, set, go,” which is a phrase Sanya Gabriel uses to get Karl to start his day.
Edward hopes the book will inspire all children who may be struggling with something, not just those with special needs.
“I wrote ‘Shine’ to encourage every reader to believe in themselves and reach for their dreams,” she said. “That would be my hope for every child.”

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Amen.

FOR MOEBIUS MOMS AND DADS: NEW BOOKS ON PARENTING

Including one that deals with autism.  But any books that help any parent with any aspect of parenting is helpful, especially for those of you with children who have special needs.  Read on:

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This installment of our round-up of recent parenting books includes more on achieving work/life balance, a treatment program for autism and a collection of essays about being a good mother. These titles were chosen from books we’ve recently received from publishers and cover a range of pressing parenting issues.
“Food Allergies: A Recipe for Success at School.” I don’t remember knowing anyone with a food allergy when I was a child (a long time ago, admittedly). But these days, you’re hard-pressed to find a classroom, soccer team or scout group that doesn’t have at least one child with nut, dairy or egg allergies.
It’s serious stuff. Exposure to the offending food can be life-threatening for these kids, and it can be scary to send your child off to school armed with an EpiPen, hoping that she doesn’t have any dangerous food encounters during the day. Jan Hanson’s book reviews common food allergies, including possible treatments and the most recent research. She gives parents a three-step plan for managing food allergies at school and goes over the laws that protect students with food allergies. She also suggests strategies for helping your child if she feels isolated from her peers because of her dietary restrictions.
“Getting to 50/50: How Working Parents Can Have It All.” Sharon Meers and Joanna Strober’s 2009 book was reissued last month, with a foreword by “Lean In” author Sheryl Sandberg.
In light of the ongoing debate over how and whether working mothers can have it all, the authors say women can have successful careers and be good moms, but only if their spouses are equal partners in the work at home.
“The most important career decision you make is whom you marry,” they write. They quote research that shows that couples who split the home responsibilities equally have a lower risk of getting divorced. They also cite a study of 1,250 fathers that indicated children do better academically when their fathers eat, play and do homework with them. So women should shed their guilt about wanting both career and family. They need to lobby for flexibility at work and help from their spouses at home.
By allowing sources to speak anonymously, the authors were able to get candid responses from couples and employers about why women struggle with this, but men don’t. The last third of the book is devoted to advice on how to get to 50/50 with your spouse.
“The Good Mother Myth. ” Avital Norman Nathman edited this collection of essays about motherhood. Rather than painting pictures of idyllic mothers, the pieces debunk the idea that there is one right way to parent a child.
The authors are refreshingly honest about parenting, from the opening essay about a mom dropping her daughter when she was a baby to another about learning how to say no to the volunteer recruiters at your child’s school. There is an essay about only wanting to have one child and another about how women compare themselves with other mothers.
The book also includes the voices of a mother who struggles with mental illness, a male-to-female transsexual parent, a teen mom and a mother who smokes marijuana to deal with the stress of raising her child.
The message: There’s no such thing as the perfect mother. And most of us are perfectly good mothers. Thank goodness.
“How to Be the Parent You Always Wanted to Be.” Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish revisit their 1992 guide to respectful parenting with this new release, a workbook accompanied by an audio guide.
The authors’ goal is to help parents communicate effectively with their children, particularly in today’s “time-starved times.” Chapters about feelings, cooperation, punishment, praise and anger include comic strips illustrating pertinent situations, followed by quizzes and exercises that allow readers to practice the approaches recommended by the authors.
The last part of the book is answers to questions they are frequently asked when they give parenting seminars.
“Spectacular Bond: Reaching the Child With Autism.” Marion Blank, Suzanne Goh and Susan Deland co-authored this guide to a program parents can use at home to help children with autism develop language skills and master appropriate behavior.
“Tremendous results are attainable for the great majority of children,” the authors say, when parents focus on improving the parent-child bond.
The method described in the book is primarily for children ages 2 to 6 but can be used for children up to 10 years old. It requires parents to change how they talk to their child, how they go about their daily routines and how they show affection.
The program has six parts: simplify the world; build self-control; manage meltdowns; sit quietly; organize daily life; and move on. They are all building toward “achieving inner calm and control,” the authors write.

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HEALTH TIP: BUYING PRESCRIPTION DRUGS ONLINE

I know many of you out there often need to buy prescription drugs; but it can be expensive.  Are there ways to cut costs?  Can you buy the medical drugs you need online?  Read more about it:

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Is it safe to order prescription drugs from online pharmacies in Canada?

Though technically illegal, millions of Americans buy prescription drugs from overseas pharmacies to save money. But the practice can be a huge gamble.
The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, a professional group, reviewed over 10,000 Internet drug outlets and found that many sold fake or unapproved drugs. Some that claimed to be Canadian pharmacies actually sold medicines from developing countries where regulations are weak and counterfeit drugs are common.
Roger Bate, a pharmaceutical expert at the American Enterprise Institute, estimates that 2 to 3 percent of online pharmacies are legitimate. When buying Canadian, he said, look for outlets certified by the Canadian International Pharmacy Association, a trade group of Canadian pharmacies, or those certified by PharmacyChecker.com, a free website that verifies that the foreign sites it approves protect consumer information and meet quality standards.
Last year, Mr. Bate and his colleagues published a study analyzing 372 orders of five popular prescription drugs – Lipitor, Celebrex, Viagra, Nexium and Zoloft – that they purchased from 79 domestic and foreign online drug outlets. Products bought from Canadian or other foreign sites certified by C.I.P.A. or PharmacyChecker.com were of high quality. So were products ordered from American sites verified by either the N.A.B.P. or LegitScript.com, a certification agency founded by a former White House aide on drug policy issues.
But that was not the case for sites that were not certified by any of these four groups. Many of the drugs they sold were fakes, including about a quarter of the Viagra samples, which largely appeared to have originated in China.
“You can’t be 100 percent certain with any sites, frankly,” Mr. Bate said. “But you are running a much lower risk if you buy from a credentialed site.”

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Make yourself proud."--Peter W. Smith

 

FRIDAY FOOTBALL PICKS

NFL PICKS
I was only 5-8 last week; 65-75-2 for the year.  Ugh!

TENNESSEE 13.5 over Jacksonville.  My pick:  TITANS.  Tennessee seems to find ways to get it done in games like this.  The Jags--coming off a horrid trip to London--might just be tired and uninterested.

GREEN BAY 10 over Philadelphia.  My pick:  EAGLES.  The Pack may very well win this game.  But not by 10.  Seneca Wallace ain't no Aaron Rodgers, and Nick Foles is finding himself.

Buffalo at PITTSBURGH (no line).  My pick:  STEELERS.  Buffalo's QB situation remains muddled, hence the no line situation.  I just think Steeler pride and Big Ben will both work to get Pittsburgh a win here.

NY GIANTS 7 over Oakland.  My pick:  GIANTS.  New York and Eli Manning are slowly playing better; but a real key here is that for the Raiders, both Terrelle Pryor and Darren McFadden are banged up.  And Oakland must travel cross-country--usually not good for them.

INDIANAPOLIS 11 over St. Louis.  My pick:  COLTS.  St. Louis plays hard, but they just don't have the personnel.  Look for the Colts to control this game.

Seattle 6.5 over ATLANTA.  My pick:  SEAHAWKS.  I know, I know, Seattle has hard a hard time covering lately.  But the Falcons have just looked awful lately; I think they know the season is a lost one, and thus they can be overpowered in a game like this.  Look for Seattle to do that.

Cincinnat 2 over BALTIMORE.  My pick:  BENGALS.  Watch the Raven offense.  It just seems to have lost its rhythm, its ability to effectively run the ball, and to make big plays in the passing game.  Cincy is the best team in this division, and I think they'll show it here.

Detroit 2.5 over CHICAGO.  My pick: (holding my breath) LIONS.  This will be a very tough game.  It's a division game and a rivalry game.  But my sense is that Jay Cutler is kind of rushing back; he may not be ready.  Meanwhile the Lions are rested, coming off a bye week.  I think they have the weapons to take control here.

SAN FRANCISCO 6.5 over Carolina.  My pick:  49ERS.  I think Carolina is tough and much-improved.  But San Francisco is on a roll, too, and still appear to be a cut above the Panthers.

ARIZONA 2.5 over Houston.  My pick:  CARDINALS.  Houston is coming off a tough Sunday night loss; their head coach is out for a while; while the Cardinals tend to play better at home anyway.

Denver 7 over SAN DIEGO.  My pick:  BRONCOS.  Denver's lone loss of the season has been put behind them; even without John Fox, that offense can score, and one senses the team will be fine.  It's hard to pinpoint what is missing in San Diego; but something is.

NEW ORLEANS 7 over Dallas.  My pick:  SAINTS.  Too much firepower, especially in the passing game; and the Saints are really good at home.

Miami 3.5 over TAMPA BAY.  My pick:  BUCCANEERS.  I just have to believe the Dolphins are one distracted team, given all the Richi Incognito etc etc etc controversy.  And the Bucs are playing better, and have nothing to lose.